Tag Archives: hydroxycitric acid

Thermo-Cuts Extreme is the stronger version of the Optimum Nutrition drug called Thermo Cuts. This drug has a very similar (long) list of ingredients to its cousin, but also includes hydroxycitric acid (HCA) as an ingredient. Not only are many reviewers already claiming that this drug is simply another ineffective product, but it is also being compared to other drugs containing HCA which are being suspected of causing the side effects that have led the FDA to speak out against several different diet drugs.

In May of 2009, the FDA released a statement that recommended that all users of Hydroxycut diet products should stop using them right away as they have a risk of liver-related side effects that can be anywhere from mild to life-threatening. Though Thermo-Cuts Extreme is not made by Hydroxycut (which recalled every one of their products), it does include the ingredient HCA which is suspected to be the culprit behind the many undesirable side effects that had been seen in the Hydroxycut products. These side effects include jaundice, light colored stools, brown urine, itching, weakness, stomach pain, vomiting, loss of appetite, unusual fatigue, and other liver-related issues.

Aside from HCA, Thermo-Cuts Extreme also includes Chromium (which show only conflicting clinical trial results), Garcinia Cambogia Extract (the source of the HCA), NeOptuna Extract, Caffeine Anhydrous (which is a fancy word for caffeine, a stimulant which can boost energy, though it does often lead to stimulant-related side effects such as sleeplessness, headaches, and jitters), Phase 2 Brand White Kidney Bean Extract (which can help with weight loss, but only in high concentrations, which is unlikely within the Thermo-Cuts Extreme formula),Green Tea Extract (which is also effective in very high doses that are unlikely within this pill), Promilin, Conjugated Linoleic Acid (CLA, which can contribute to weight loss when taken in high doses, but not in the lower doses of Thermo-Cuts Extreme), L-Carnitine, Grapefruit Peel Extract, Bioperine (which helps the body to absorb nutrients from food but has never been shown to help with weight loss), and Vanadyl Sulfate.

Though it may look like an inexpensive product at $25.99 (at the time of this review) per 200 capsules, as you are required to take as many as twelve of those capsules every day, a single bottle will last only 16 days, requiring two bottles (and 400 capsules!) per month. This is neither inexpensive nor realistic considering that the ingredients do not show promise for being very effective at assisting with weight loss.

The Herbalean formula has been designed by its manufacturers to be used as a weight loss and energy supplement. This drug contains a number of extremely powerful ingredients that, while they have been known to assist in weight loss, are also very well known to cause potentially dangerous side effects. In the case of ephedra, for example, the ingredient has been banned outright by national health organizations such as the FDA and Health Canada, making it illegal to produce, buy, or sell in those and many other countries. This being said, while Herbalean does contain illegal and unsafe ingredients, it can still be purchased online.

To take a closer look at some of the primary ingredients in the product, let us start at the beginning. Though Chromium has been researched using many studies, the results have been highly conflicting and therefore there has been no true conclusion as to whether or not it has any impact on weight loss at all. That being said, the Mayo Clinic states that it is likely harmless.

Ma Huang, on the other hand, is included for its ephedra content. Though it may help with weight loss, it can also be highly dangerous to the health and is banned by the FDA.

Hoodia Gordonii, though popularly believed to help with weight loss has never been shown in any reliable clinical studies to have any statistically significant impact on a dieter’s ability to lose weight.

Garcinia Cambogia is an ingredient used for its hydroxycitric acid (HCA) content. This ingredient has been shown to be able to help with weight loss but it also has the potential to be exceptionally hazardous to the health. So much so that in May of 2009, the FDA issued a warning against another brand of pills called Hydroxycut, which had produced 23 reports to the FDA over health concerns related to the liver which are suspected to be linked to the HCA ingredient in the drug. The manufacturer of that drug voluntarily recalled its product and many responsible websites no longer carry any product that contains HCA.

Green tea can help with weight loss when taken at a dose of at least 300mg per day. Though the precise concentration is not provided, its place on the ingredient list suggests that there is not enough green tea in this product to make any difference.

The cost of Herbalean is rather steep at $49.95 per 60-capsule bottle, especially considering the number of health risks and the fact that one of its ingredients has been banned in many countries.

Therefore, this review of Herbalean finds that the supplement provides too many dangerous ingredients combined with too many ineffective or inadequately concentrated ingredients to be worth using for weight loss.